Uganda last year passed a draconian anti-gay law which was eventually deemed to be unconstitutional. However, the African nation is expected to introduce an even more severe version of the law as a “Christmas gift” to the nation.

“[President Yoweri Museveni] is passionate about athletics. He does not only receive all athletes whenever they shine but has gone a step further to give them a monthly stipend to motivate them. Not even football players get that."

FIFA's decision to allow Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup has been an ongoing point of contention for those concerned with the country's record on a variety of human rights (workers' rights, LGBT rights, etc.). Homosexuality remains illegal in the Middle Eastern country and Muslims can be put to death for extramarital sex under Sharia law.

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Qatar's sports minister Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali attempted to address some of the criticisms aimed at his country. In addition to promising labor reforms in the coming months, al-Ali pledged to find "creative" solutions to things like alcohol consumption and homosexuality during the upcoming games.

For now, alcohol is only sold in selected Doha hotels and visitors must show their passports to enter these bars. Residents with a license to shop there can also buy alcohol in a government-run store. But World Cup organizer FIFA has a sponsorship deal with a brewer and it leaned on Brazil, the last tournament host, to allow beer sales in its 2014 World Cup stadiums. Asked specifically about alcohol in 2022 stadiums, the minister offered no guarantee.

"In the hotels and many areas we have alcohol but we have also our own system that people need to respect," he said. "As we bid for 2022, we will respect all the rules and regulations by FIFA. We can study this and minimize the impact on our people and tradition. I think we can be creative, finding solutions for all of this. But we respect all the rules and regulations."

- Asked how gay people will be welcomed in 2022, al-Ali replied: "It's exactly like the alcohol question."

He said Qatar doesn't want to create "this impression, illusion that we don't care about our tradition and our ethical values ... We are studying all these issues. We can adapt, we can be creative to have people coming and enjoying the games without losing the essence of our culture and respecting the preference of the people coming here. I think there is a lot we can do."

Back in 2010, FIFA President Sepp Blatter sparked a firestorm when he joked gay people should "refrain from sexual activity" during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Two Rugby World Cup-winning Wallabies captains joined senior federal politicians from every major Australian party, the International Rugby Board (IRB) publicly endorsed the event and the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) adopted a range of policies aimed at eliminating homophobia.

The IRB is believed to be the first major international sporting federation to publicly endorse a gay sporting event.

John Eales, the most successful captain in Australian rugby history and a board member of the ARU, said:

“We should commend and celebrate the support around the world to address homophobia and discrimination in sport. There is still a great deal of work to do, but I’m hopefully we’ll soon see a time when athletes at all levels feel comfortable being open about their sexuality and playing the sports they love without fear of discrimination.”

IRB Chief Executive Brett Gosper said:

“Rugby recognises sport’s wider responsibility to society and its ability to drive social change. Sport can cross barriers. Sport boosts self-esteem and Sport promotes inclusivity and celebrates diversity. We are proud as Rugby grows across every continent that the sport’s strong values of solidarity, integrity, discipline, respect and passion still make a real difference in modern society.”

“A person’s sexuality should be completely irrelevant whether they are playing sports or doing anything else in life. I’m proud Australians are playing such a significant role in highlighting the need for change. We need to continue working proactively to find effective approaches to address homophobia and change sporting culture.”

The tournament, which was won by the Sydney Convicts, is named in honor of rugby player Mark Bingham who is known internationally as one of the heroes of 9/11.

Watch a report on the tournament launch and the official tournament video, AFTER THE JUMP...

Speaking at FIFA’s daily media briefing, Jeffrey Webb, the organization's vice president and head of the Anti-Discrimination Task Force, said:

"It is obvious there is a disconnect between what we in the Task Force deem as racism and discrimination and what the Disciplinary Committee deems as racism and discrimination."

According to DNA India, a proposed Task Force that trained anti-discrimination officers was not accepted by FIFA. Another official said that although there was not enough time to train anti-discrimination officers for this year’s World Cup, training will start for future events.

Watch a report on the investigation of anti-gay chants by Mexico fans, AFTER THE JUMP...

Writing in his column on Christian website Russian People’s Line, Russian Orthodox priest Alexander Shumsky has denounced the World Cup as a “homosexual abomination” because of the brightly colored boots worn by players.

Claiming that the boots resemble the “gay rainbow,” Shumsky goes on to say that “wearing pink or blue shoes, [the players] might as well wear women's panties or a bra," reports The Moscow Times.

Also unimpressed with some of the “unthinkable” hairstyles sported by players, Shumsky continues that “the liberal ideology of globalism clearly wants to oppose Christianity with football. Therefore I am glad that the Russian players have failed and, by the grace of God, no longer participate in this homosexual abomination.”

Following reports of Mexican soccer fans chanting the abusive term “puto” during recent World Cup matches, the country’s fans were again heard using the abusive term at a June 29 fixture against the Netherlands. “Puto” is the Spanish word for a male prostitute, "fag" or "coward", and a derogatory term for gay men.

Despite vocally disapproving of the behavior of Mexico’s fans, both ESPN and Univision broadcast the chants, as OutSports reports.

In a statement, ESPN sportscaster Bob Ley said:

“This is a long-standing tradition at Mexican national team matches. The word is an anti-gay slur in Spanish. Here at the World Cup this has become a bit of an international issue. FIFA has looked into it. Mexican officials have acknowledged the impossibility of policing the conduct and language of tens of thousands of fans. By way of background and information, you should know that ESPN does not control the audio and video of the international feed.”

Univision also warned viewers that offensive chants might be accidentally broadcast during the June 29 match:

“We recognize that during the game there may be language, or chants, from some fans that are offensive to some members of our television audience. Although we realize this can happen in any televised sporting event, we do not, in any case, condone or endorse the use of such language. Univision Communications supports a World Cup that is inclusive, one that celebrates the diversity of the sport we love and can be enjoyed by all - absent what can be the hurtful consequences of certain words. In this regard, we strive to make sure that our own coverage and commentary is respectful and inclusive of all, including the gay community. This is our commitment to our audience, our community and our partners."

Although FIFA President Sepp Blatter and Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff have pledged to use the World Cup as a platform against racism and discrimination, many feel that FIFA’s actions are hypocritical as it has awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 event to Qatar, despite human rights abuses in those countries and Russia’s 2013 decision to pass anti-gay laws.